Liberty and Rheinland Trade Embargo.

[Chakotay]

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Liberty Government Department of Commerce
Committee of Enquiry Liberty and Rheinland Trade Embargo.

Bang Bang
The Chairman smacked the mallet on the little wooden striker on his desk to bring silence to the room.

I am Commerce Minister Thomas James from the Liberty department of Commerce. He announced.
I call to order this first meeting of this committee of enquiry into the continuing trade embargo between the Liberty house and the Rheinland house systems. He continued.
This enquiry has been ordered by the supreme court after legal proceedings were launched by Chief Executive Officer Chakotay (he nodded in my direction to acknowledge my presence) of the [KoF] trading organisation, these legal charges have been sponsored and partnered by identical proceedings from Ageira, InterSpace Commerce, Universal Shipping and Deep Space Engineering.

The legal charges are that the Embargo is a breach of the ancient rights of Liberty enshrined by Liberty systems Law and also by ancient Human rights Laws.
1. Freedom of movement.
2. Freedom to earn a living from honest work.
3. Freedom to trade and make profit.

The charges go further in that the very economy of Liberty is being harmed by the Embargo, and the people of Liberty are now suffering lose of earnings, loss of Job security and higher taxes because of the damage to the economy.

Also that the Commandeering of Liberty Navy, Police and the LSF to enforce the same embargo is a waste of resources and not part of the duties of these forces.

That the embargo can be controlled and monitored much more effectively and cheaply, from spaceports, when the ships land for cargo loading and unloading, by the spaceport Commanders Security teams and the Custom and Excise department.

Further that there is no evidence of increased build up of forces or any sign of any threats coming from the Rheinland systems, which was the initial reason for the embargo.

CEO Chakotay at this moment has a ship impounded with a cargo of diamonds on board and faces charges of breach of the Trade embargo, failure to obey commands from a Liberty Navy vessel and refusing to hand over the cargo to the Liberty Government authorities at the Manhattan spaceport.
The outcome of this enquiry will feed back directly to the Courts for the Judge to make a decision on these charges.[/color]

I was released on a bail bond and accompanied to this committee of enquiry by my friend Engineer-Scotty and a pair Liberty Lawyers who had been recommended to us.

Thomas James continued.

The evidence gathered here and the statements given to this committee will be collated and submitted with a recommendation to the Liberty Government President Powell and state department ADMINs and advisors to make a final judgement.
The committee will now hear statements and question witnesses and interested parties on all sides of the argument.
I welcome each and every interested party here and hope the proceedings will run smoothly and without interruptions as far as is possible

I sat down and listened as the murmurs grew and the media franticly discussed and argued about the reports they would submit to the newspapers.
The Chairman Thomas James beckoned over the master of arms and asked him to announce a 20-minute break.
I went to the hallway and got a coffee from the machine.

There was a Navy senior officer on the committee and a representative from the LSF and Police, also there were senior business advisors and Industry leaders. I also could see my good friend Suzanna from the DW bounty hunter guild.
This argument was going to be Military versus Business with the Government in the middle juggling the hot potato.

I would be up soon to give my statement and answer questions

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